This evening, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS released a story
regarding Dr. Phil Astin, who became infamous around the world as Chris Benoit's
Doctor after the double muder suicide committed by Benoit almost two years
ago.
The personal doctor to a professional wrestler who killed himself,
his wife and their 7-year-old son was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday
for illegally prescribing painkillers and other drugs to
patients.
Dr. Phil Astin, 54, had pleaded guilty Jan. 29 to a 175-count federal
indictment that accused him of writing illegal prescriptions to known drug
abusers, some of them for years. Prosecutors said at least two of Astin's
patients died of drug overdose — a fact the judge said he could not overlook in
handing down the sentence.
"I take full responsibility," Astin told U.S. District Judge Jack
Camp during a sentencing hearing that lasted more than two hours. "I am sorry I
hurt so many lives. I was thinking that I was looking after my
patients."
Prosecutors said Chris Benoit, a wrestler for Stamford, Conn.-based
World Wrestling Entertainment, and his wife, Nancy, were not the two patients
who died.
The 19 patients in the indictment are identified only by their
initials because of privacy rules. C.B. and N.B. were among the patients listed,
but Assistant U.S. Attorney John Horn would not say whether that referred to the
Benoits. Both abused prescription drugs, Horn said.
Astin came to the attention of authorities in June 2007, when Benoit,
his wife and son were found dead in their suburban Atlanta home. Police said
Benoit strangled his wife and son and then hanged himself. A medical examiner
couldn't say whether the steroids Astin prescribed for Benoit played a role in
the deaths.
A federal investigation found Astin wrote prescriptions without
conducting physical exams and sometimes gave patients as many as four
simultaneous prescriptions for Percocet, a painkiller. He also prescribed
"cocktails" of drugs like Percocet, Oxycontin, Vicodin and
Adderall.
Investigators cited one case in which an unidentified female patient
died of an overdose of hydrocodone and other drugs obtained through Astin. A
male patient died of an overdose of medication prescribed by Astin, but he had
also taken Soma, a muscle relaxant.
Horn said it was likely there were far more patient addicts than the
19 listed in the indictment, but the investigation was halted when Astin agreed
to plead guilty. He produced charts showing patients came from a much broader
geographic area than around Astin's clinic in Carrollton in western
Georgia.
Astin's attorney, Natasha Perdew Silas, characterized the doctor's
lawbreaking as "a certain benevolent recklessness."
"He developed a disrespect for the rules," she said. "Even when
someone is a drug abuser, that person may still have a reason to relieve their
pain."
Horn countered that it was clear Astin knew what he was
doing.
"He knew that these patients were addicted to drugs, and yet he
continued prescribing the drugs," he said.
